While the concept may not be in any coaching manual, anyone with that acumen can tell that Jake MacPhail has officially reached that point. Jan. 14, as University made the short venture north on Route 91, then east on Mayfield Road to County Line Road and a dual at Hawken, the US junior took on his bread and butter individual events, distance freestyle. In 500 free, MacPhail has shown he can nail down sub-4:40 speed and compete for a Division II state championship — multiple times over. The MacPhail household knows a thing or two about that, of course, after his older brother Quinn embarked on that title trek last winter in 500 free before graduating. Here, it wasn’t needed. If it had...
